Page 74 of A Lady's Guide to Scandal

‘And I did, until it seemed you weren’t coming back out again,’ Kitty protested.

‘That is a barefaced lie!’

‘She was going to shoot him,’ Archie said, dazed.

‘I was not,’ Kitty insisted.

‘Give me that pistol,’ Hinsley instructed angrily, making a grab for it. ‘By George, do you have the faintest idea how to use it?’

‘Well, not really,’ Kitty admitted. ‘But as it turns out, neither do you – it wasn’t loaded, you dolt. I checked as soon as you left. Are you honestly a soldier?’

‘Dear God,’ Hinsley cursed. ‘Dear God.’

‘We were about to be quite trapped there,’ Kitty said – now that she was in the safety of the vehicle, she was quite regaining her usual self-possession – ‘there wasn’t much else to be done but threaten him most soundly.’

Hinsley let out a peal of wild laughter.

‘Hinsley – Hinsley, what on earth is going on?’ Archie asked weakly.

‘We came to rescue you,’ Hinsley said cheerily. ‘From certain ruin. Must say it’s the first time I’ve done a rescue with a woman onside, but credit where credit’s due – you performed most excellently, Miss Talbot.’

He gave a courteous little flourish of his hand in her direction, and she returned the gesture with even more pomp. ‘May I say that you did very well yourself, my dear sir.’

Archie began to think they had both gone quite mad. ‘Perhaps I ought to drive,’ he said cautiously, as they began to laugh again.

‘Best not, dear boy, I can smell the drink on you – and the smoke,’ Hinsley said. ‘Are you all right?’

‘I think so,’ Archie said uncertainly. ‘But I feel a fool. I do not think Selby is my friend after all.’

‘I am sorry, Archie,’ Kitty said, real regret in her voice. Archie looked at her.

‘But why did you come, Kitty?’ Archie asked. ‘I must say I do not think it at all proper.’

‘I had to come,’ she said simply. ‘Proper or not. Besides, with your brother left for Devonshire – who else was there to come after you?’

She smiled at him, warmly, and he felt a sense of foreboding in his chest. Blast, the girl was still in love with him. Awfully strange way to behave if that was the case, but the signs were clear as day. No other reason she would come haring after him, Archie could see that.

A few months ago, this revelation would have tickled Archie pink, but he was now coming to the uncomfortable realisation that he was not at all pleased. He didn’t really think they were all that suited, after all – why, she had held a gun at his friend! Yes, it was a friend who he now knew to be quite villainous, but still.

Not the thing, he thought darkly. Not at all what you’d want your wife to be doing, either – shooting at people, willy-nilly, or threatening to, which was not much better. But how, he thought with horror, was one to turn down such a lady – she’d probably try to shoot him! He lay back into the curricle, quite exhausted.

35

The return journey seemed shorter to Radcliffe, now that he was not plagued with anxiety, and it was not long before London’s lights were starting to shine through the little window of the carriage. He banged on the roof, waking Cecily with a start.

‘Take us to Wimpole Street first!’ he called out to Lawrence.

Not ten minutes later, though, there was a returning bang on the ceiling from the outside, and Lawrence’s voice calling back in.

‘My lord? I think you ought to come out.’

Opening the door onto the street, the cause for Lawrence’s words was immediately quite clear, for their path was blocked by a mud-stained curricle coming the other way, upon which sat Captain Hinsley, Archie, and Miss Talbot – all of whom looked very windswept.

‘Radcliffe!’ Hinsley called out in relief. ‘There you are!’

Sally and Cecily got out from the carriage behind Radcliffe as Kitty stared.

‘What’s going on?’ Radcliffe and Kitty said together, each glaring at the other.